1
as in sources
a point or place at which something is invented or provided
the origins of human language remain a matter of considerable debate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in roots
the source from which something grows or develops
the origin of the tradition of giving presents at Christmastime
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in lineages
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended
they could trace their origins back 15 generations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of origins
Valentine's Day pagan connections One of the most common explanations is that Valentine's Day has its origins in the ancient Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia.
—
Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
Because this history is a critical part of our nation's origins.
—Eva Andersen, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
In The History of Every Thing, Popular Science uncovers the hidden stories and surprising origins behind everyday things.
—Mark Hay, Popular Science, 28 Jan. 2026
Frum and Brooks discuss the origins of the term neocon, what the neocons got right, and why they should be listened to today.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
In her own anniversary post, Catherine looked back at the couple’s origins and shared her joy at being in the present with Sean.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Histories of American immigration, or the origins of the Department of Homeland Security, situate ICE in context.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
There are countless beverages with origins that trace back to NOLA, and the Big Easy’s bartenders are always ahead of the beverage world’s newest and most exciting trends.
—Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
It was kept in interconnected wooden vats that were periodically filled with rums of various origins, but never completely emptied, making it effectively an enormous and complex solera rum.
—Tony Sachs, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
Because this history is a critical part of our nation's origins.
—Eva Andersen, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
In The History of Every Thing, Popular Science uncovers the hidden stories and surprising origins behind everyday things.
—Mark Hay, Popular Science, 28 Jan. 2026
Frum and Brooks discuss the origins of the term neocon, what the neocons got right, and why they should be listened to today.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
In her own anniversary post, Catherine looked back at the couple’s origins and shared her joy at being in the present with Sean.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Histories of American immigration, or the origins of the Department of Homeland Security, situate ICE in context.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
There are countless beverages with origins that trace back to NOLA, and the Big Easy’s bartenders are always ahead of the beverage world’s newest and most exciting trends.
—Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
It was kept in interconnected wooden vats that were periodically filled with rums of various origins, but never completely emptied, making it effectively an enormous and complex solera rum.
—Tony Sachs, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for origins
Noun
-
Former cable news anchor Don Lemon was arrested Thursday night, his attorney and multiple sources with direct knowledge told CBS News on Friday.—
Lilia Luciano,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
According to multiple sources familiar with the deal, who asked not to be named to protect relationships, a small fee was ultimately paid to City to formally appoint Taylor in August, a month before the contract expired.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Freed from some of the commercial pressures, creators are going back to their roots and getting weird, and perhaps building the foundation of the future of immersive content.—
Cortney Harding,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
John Rambo takes audiences back, years before the events of First Blood, diving deep into the roots and experiences that forged one of the big screen’s most enduring and complex characters.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Ninety million years after our lineages split, humans are beginning to listen to whales in a new way.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Peter Godfrey-Smith, professor of history and philosophy of science at the University of Sydney, explores the evolutionary roots of consciousness by tracing how felt experience may have emerged across different animal lineages.—
David L. Coddon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Married couples shared a bed, and one of their younger children might sleep with them, though infants had cradles.—
Bobbi Sutherland,
The Conversation,
19 Dec. 2025
-
In the photos, Travis can be seen down on one knee as Swift cradles his face in the sweet moment.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The paper is part of the beginnings of a small renaissance in California news publishing, inspired in part by years of internal turmoil at the Los Angeles Times.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
-
From those early beginnings, the event has grown into one of Central Florida’s most cherished community traditions, welcoming hundreds of neighbors, partners and volunteers each year.—
Jennifer Cook,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But many Chicanos trace their lineage to indigenous peoples who survived Spanish colonization, often carrying mixed indigenous, Spanish, and other ancestries, a testament to survival and cultural fusion.—
David Alvarado,
Time,
15 Dec. 2025
-
This lack of representation is problematic for people of different ancestries because genetic risk factors differ across populations.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Even a non-power near-champ like 2008 Utah wouldn’t fit, since the 2000s Mountain West had several programs with better pedigrees than pre-Cignetti Indiana.—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
-
They’re often marketed with promises of uncorrelated returns and highlight the impressive manager pedigrees.—
Jonathan I. Shenkman,
Forbes.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The seal texts often introduced the owners with their names, genealogies, gender, professions and hometowns.—
Serdar Yalçin,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Transcripts, grammars, vocabularies, dictionaries, glyph studies, botanical studies, commentaries, articles, editions of codices, correspondence, maps, charts, drawings, photographs, Maya Society materials, genealogies of Maya families, and Mayan glyphs on moveable type.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Origins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/origins. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
